Pneumatic mattress



eu. 14,1926. muses C. IR. STENER PNEUMATIC MATTRESS Filed Oct. 5. 1923 I,/&

KiM/%km Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,610-,893 PATENT OFFICE;

CLEVELAND R. STEINER, OF SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO.

PNEUMATIC MATTRESS.

Application filed October 5. 1923. serial xo. 666348.

This invention relates to pneumatio mattrcsses and aims to provide a newand novel mattress of simple, inexpensive Construct on which will bestrong and durable and which when collapsed will occupy a small amountof space whereby it may be convenentlyarried by toursts or campers orfolded m a compact package for shipping or storage.

The invention particularly aims to provide a pneumatic mattress providedwith new and novel means for reinforcing the walls thereof and havingnew and improved means for preventing undue distortion under infiationwhereby the same when inflated will provide an eflicient, durablemattress of attractive appearance.

A further object s to provide a mattress provided with eflicient meansfor holding the upper and lower walls thereof in spaced, substantiallyparallel relation, which means will also prevent a longitudinal movementof one of said walls relative to the other and to thereby provide amattress which wll retain its shape during a long period of use.

The above and other objects are accomplished by the novel Construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown inthe accompanyng drawing, in which I have illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention, it being understood that the nvention iscapable of various adaptations and that changes and modifications may bemade or substitutions resorted to which come within the scope of theclaims hereunto appended.

In the drawings like characters ot' reference are employed to designatelike parts as the sameappear in any of the several vews and in whichFigure 1 :is a perspective view of a mattress constructed in accordancewith this invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of same taken asindicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken as indicatedby the lines 3-3 of Fgure l.

Figure 4: :is a transverse, vertical, sectional View with" parts brokenaway, taken asindicated by the lines 4:-4: of F igure 1.

Proceeding now to a detailed description of the invention with referenceto the particular adaptation thereof shown in the drawngs, the numeral 5is used to denote the upper wall, the numeral 6 the lower wall,

the numerals 9 and 10 the end walls and the numerals 7 and 8 the sidewalls of my improved matt'ess. The side and end walls of my mattress arearranged'with the respective edges the'cof in abutting relation to theupper and lower walls, and are secured in assembled relstion by means ofa flat strip v 11 of rubber, rubber fabric or other suitable materialwhich is cemented or vulcanized in place to form an mpermeable juncturebetween the several pieces of which the mattress is composed. ifdesired, a similar strip 12 may be cemented or vulcanized on the innerface of the mattress so as to cover the joints between the severalparts.

The mattress is provided with a plurality of stays 13 which are formed.of strips of elastic rubber which are disposed within the mattress inparallel spaced relation, longitudinally thereof. Each of the strips 13are cemented or vulcanized or otherwise suitably Secured to the nnerface of the mattress at a point over or adjacent the line of juncturebetween the walls 6 and 9. Each strip 13 is alternately cemented orvulcanized at equally spaced points to the upper and lower walls 6 so asto extend in a vertical plane in-zig Zag relation longitudinally of themattress.

The numeral 14: denotes a strip of rubber, rubberized cloth or othersuitable material which is cemented across the ends of the strips 13 toassist in securely holding them to the inner wall of the mattress. Thenumeral 15 denotes strips of rubber, rubberized fabric or other suitablematerial which extends in parallel spaced relation laterally of themattress and are cemented or vulcanized to the interior face of theupper wall 5 and are positioned over the strips 13 at the points wheresaid strips 13' are secured to the upper wall'. The strips 15 are alsoSecured to the side walls 7 and 8- and extend downwardly to the point ofjuncture between said side walls and the lower wall 6.

The numeral 16 denotes a strip of rubber, rubberized cloth or othersuitable material which is similar to the strip 15 and is similarlySecured to the lower wall 6 and to the strips 13 and are Secured to theside walls 7 and 8 extending upwardly to the upper wall 5 in parallelrelation to the strips 15. The numeral 17 denotes a disk which ispreferably composed of rubber, rubberized 17 are cemented, vulcanized orotherwise secured tothe exter'ror face of the upper and lower walls atpoints immediately oppos te the points where the strips 13 are Securedtlereto. The disks 17 are thus arranged at equally spaced points on theouter surface of the nattress thereby reinforcing its walls andproviding an article of attractive appearance.

The numeral 18 denotes an air valve which is Secured in one of the sidewalls of the mattress Whereby the same may be conveniently inflated ordefiated as desired. While I have shown a mattress composcd of a numberof separate pieces, I prefer to vulcanize the parts in assembledrelation thereby formng a one piece bag which will hold air underpressure.

It will thus be seen that my improved mattress when in an inflatedcondition will be provided with a plurality of stays 13 'which hold theupper and lower walls in spaced, substantially parallel relation andthat one of said walls cannot be move-:l longitudinally, inasmuch as itis held by the truss-like strips 13. The strips 15 and 16 reinforce theside walls 7 and 8 and prevent undue distortion under inflation.

In use, a pump is operatively connecter to the valve stem 18 and airunder pressure is introduced until the mattress is inflated to thepressure required. i

It will thus be seen that T have provided a pneumatic mattress ofsimple, nexpensve Construction which when deflated may be packed in asmall space 'or shipment or storage.

While I have shown and described my invcntion as applied to a mattress,it is to be understood that it may be-applied.to advantage to pillows,cushions, life preservers and other inflatable articles. A

Having thus illustrated my invention and described the same in detail,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent s:- r

1. A pneunatic mattress including walls composed of a plurality ofpieces of rubber ot' impermeable material, tes securing the upper andlower walls thereof against undue disto'tion, said ties comprisingstraps of elastic rubber, each of said straps being alternatelyvulcanized to each wall at laterally alined points, and' a plurality ofparallelly arranged laterally extending strips vulcanized to the'interor face of said walls and covering said straps at said points.

2. A pneumatic mattress including walls composed of a plurality ofpieces of robberized material, ties securing the upper and lower wallsthereof against undue distortion, said ties comprising straps of elasticrnbbe', each of said straps being alternately vulcanized to each wall atlaterally alined points, and a plurality of parallelly arrangedlaterally extending straps vulcanized to the interior face of said wallsand covering said straps at said points; each of said laterally directcdstraps extending vertically along the adjacent side walls, substantiallyas and for the 'purposes herein set forth.

Tn testimony whereof T have hereunto set my hand CLEVELAND R. STEINER.

